Will Jovan Mijatović return to New York City FC this season?
Over the weekend, Sportal, the sports arm of Serbian news outlet Blic, published statements from Mijatović that point to a transfer to a European club. As Sportal put it, "He will not return to America."
That comes on the heels of a report we posted last week from Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sport Germany, who was the first to put forward that Mijatović could be loaned to a European club during the January transfer window. A Sky Sport Germany broadcast later said that SL Benfica, PSV, and Anderlecht FC as interested in the 19-year-old striker.
Notably, Mijatović is nowhere to be seen in the preseason hype videos posted to X by NYCFC. Could that be because he is required to remain in Serbia after striking a pedestrian with a car in Belgrade on January 3? Or is it because he will stay in Europe on loan. Maybe it's a little from Column A, and a little from Column B.
Hudson River Blue Staff
"Only physical fitness matters there"
There's a lot to unpack in the statements that Mijatović made to Sportal.* They not only indicate that talks are underway to place him at a club in Europe, but they speak to a disheartening year at New York City.
First, Mijatović teased out a possible departure from NYCFC:
Well, I wouldn't reveal secrets. I think every player has offers at all times. I wouldn't give away any secrets, but I'm waiting for a lot in Europe right now. All that is on "standby." But you don't need to reveal everything, let the public be a little patient. We will see each other on the field, the only question is on which field.
Then, he put the visa problems that delayed his arrival at the start of the 2024 season on New York City. According to Mijatović, it hindered him from becoming match-fit — and fitness is what counts most in the NYCFC system:
Well, I don't regret it, but I would have liked to have stayed at Zvezda. In America, the mentality is completely different. There, they don't look at what kind of player you are, but whether you fit into that system. Only physical fitness matters there. I missed the preparations, so I had a problem with the visa for a month and it was not my fault. Those were all their mistakes and of course, who else will suffer but me. I didn't protest.
Next, Mijatović spoke of the lone goal he scored in 2024 — that came in NYCFC's 4-2 loss to FC Cincinnati in the Leagues Cup group stage. After he failed to score in the following game, a knockout match against New England Revolution played in the driving rain that NYCFC won in penalties, he spent the rest of the season on the bench:
That's how it has to be, that's what God said, and all I had to do was work and wait for the chance. I got a chance, I started one game, I immediately scored a goal, the second game I started the same, then I didn't score a goal and that's why I didn't play.
Finally, Mijatović said he was right to leave Red Star Belgrade† for New York City, contradicting what he stated above:
Honestly, when I joined the Zvezda first team, I didn't expect to be there for only a year and a half. I wanted to leave some mark. I almost left one when I scored two goals in the derby, so they were disallowed. We agreed with the club about the transfer and everything and I don't think I made a mistake. Even though I didn't play there, I don't think I was wrong to go.
Hudson River Blue Staff
2 6 Starts
You need to keep in mind that Mijatović is a 19-year-old who just endured a disappointing year in an unfamiliar country at a new club that plays in a league that is still dismissed by many in Europe. It's understandable that he might feel frustrated about his time in New York City.
But we should point out that Mijatović, who was reportedly signed for $8.6 million (the second-highest fee in club history), had six starts in 2024, not just the two mentioned above, playing 509 minutes in 15 appearances across all competitions.
Two of those starts were in Major League Soccer regular season games. There was the May 18 game against New York Red Bulls at Citi Field, when he was the surprise starter — and was pulled after taking just two shots in 58 minutes. Mijatović was replaced by Mounsef Bakrar, who had trouble finding the back of the net all season, but who scored the game-winner just six minutes after coming on.
The next start came on May 31 against San Jose Earthquakes. When Mijatović was pulled in the 58th minute (once again) after taking two shots (once again), the game was even at 1-1. He was replaced by Alonso Martínez, who scored a hat trick inside 11 minutes as New York City went on to win 5-1. Martínez established himself as the team's starting striker that night, and went on to become one of the most clinical goal-scorers in MLS.
But looking back on that run of matches, you can now see that former head coach Nick Cushing was searching for a leading man, cycling through the three candidates for striker to see who was up to the job, giving each of them two starts in a month when NYCFC posted a record of 5W-0D-1L. The starting role was there for the taking — and it was Martínez, a journeyman winger who saw just 30 minutes of playing time in 2023 after signing in the summer transfer window, who made it his.
That same month, Mijatović made two additional starts, both for NYCFC II as they made their fairytale run in the 20024 US Open Cup. He played the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 upset 1-0 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on May 8. It wasn't a strong performance. He took zero shots and completed zero dribbles, managing just 17 touches that night.
Mijatović again played the full 90 minutes in NYCFC II's loss to New Mexico United on May 21. The game took place just three days after his start against Red Bulls, and despite the fatigue, he was more involved in the attack. But it wasn't enough. Mijatović took five shots but missed two big chances per FotMob. "JJ Jimenez latched onto a loose touch and played Mijatović through, whose strike dragged wide," Noah Kassell-Yung wrote in his game recap for HRB. It was "a golden opportunity for Mijatović to put the home team out front."
In other words, Mijatović made four starts across all competitions during the month of May, when the striker position was up for grabs. Not only did he fail to score in any of those games, he didn't contribute meaningfully to the attack when he was on the field.
Unhappy days
We should point out that it is highly unusual for a New York City player to have a side conversation with the press. All clubs in the City Football Group family run a tight ship, and expect media exposure to come through the proper channels. It's an organization that doesn't like scandal, drama, or leaks.
But this isn't the first time that Mijatović voiced his discontent with his situation at the club. In October, he posted an enigmatic statement on Instagram. "An old gold watch is not valuable in a jewelry store but when you go to a museum they will offer you a lot for it," it read. "You are not the problem but where you are right now is, teach people to appreciate you and show you who you really are."
That's not the sort of post you expect from an NYCFC player — and neither are the statements published by Sportal.
But maybe Mijatović won't be an NYCFC payer for much longer.
